We have four types of secondary schools in Northrhine Westfalia. There are the grammar schools, the comprehensive schools, the Realschule ( a middle school) and the Hauptschule. All these secondary schools have two terms per year. The grammar school ( we are at the grammar school, too) is the most demanding school in Germany.

Normally the school begins at 8 o`clock. Mostly we have six lessons, so we have 30 lessons per week. The pupils have a lot of luck because the schools in North-Rhine Westfalia are closed on Saturdays. One lesson has 45 minutes. During a day we have two big breaks, each for 15 minutes, and we have three little breaks, each of them is 5 minutes long.

At our school we have not many activities, but we have some like these: A choir, an orchestra, a football-club, a theater-group and a dance-group. Most activities are very funny. Every year we have a big school-concert, in which the choir and the orchestra are together.

We have eleven different subjects: Maths, English, German, Latin, Sport, History, Geography, Art, Music, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Swimming. In year seven we must choose between French and Latin. But after year nine you must choose between four different subjects: Biology-Chemistry, Politics-Economy, French and Computer-Sciences.

These are important things about the grammar school, but more important is that we have a caretaker. Sometimes he repairs damages, he checks the buildings and always he picks up the rubbish before for the beginning of school and after the school ends. Our grammar school has a big building and a pavilion. In the big building there are a lot of rooms but in the pavilion there are only four. In the morning before the beginning of school you can look at a plan, which shows us the supply teachers.

In front of our school we have a kiosk, which is closed after the second big break. At the kiosk you can buy a lot of things like drinks and food, if you have forgotten your sandwiches. Finally our school has an assembly hall and we have a big school yard, in which there are three table-tennis tables, trees and a lot of benches. After year 13 you are finished with the grammar school, because you have done your leaving examination. Now you can decide, whether to work and earn your own money or stay at home and perhaps look after your children.

By Anna Weiner, Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium, Dinslaken, Germany